mennesson



J. MENNESSON.

TAILPlECE FOR STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

m 9 v ,nMs '1 Z W WM W [M APPLICATION FILED NOV-13.1917.

JEAN MENNESSON, 0F PARIS, FRANCE.

' TAILPIECE FOR STBINGED'MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Ndv. 11, 1919.

, Application filed; November 13, 1917. Serial No. 201,847.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JEAN MENNESSON, a citizen of the French Republic, residing in Paris, .France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tailpieces for Stringed Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements 1n stringed musical instruments, owing to which the tension of the strings can be regulated with the desired precision, and the said strings prevented from cutting the bridge. 1

In stringed musical instruments, the tension corresponding to the desired pitch is difiicult to obtain, and more particularly to maintain constant by means of the ordinary peg. It is more particularly the case in stringed musical instruments in which the first string is a steel wire, for resistance of steel wire to tension is very great. If the tension exercised by turning the peg 1s too slight, the pitch is not reached, so that it is necessary to exert a considerable efiort on the peg in order further to stretch the string. It generally happens that the resistance met with necessitates a great effort, owing to which the peg is turned through a greater angle than is necessary and the string is given too high a pitch. Moreover, owing to its tension, on the one hand, and to its small diameter, on the other hand, the first string cuts the bridge, so that very soon the said first string is no longer on a proper level relatively to the other strings, which greatly interferes with the playing of the instrument and also absorbs part 0 the v1- brations. All these drawbacks are done away with by this invention.

A construction of the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing in which U Figure 1 shows in perspective a violin to which the said improvements have been applied;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on an enlarged scale, of the budge-port on of the instrument with a tension regulatlng devlce,

and p i Y Fig. 3 and Fig. l show other constructions of the tension regulating device.

One of the essential improvements of the invention comprises the device byrmeans of which the tension of a string can be brought to the exact pitch desired.

The device comprises a milled nut e screwed on a split screw-threaded rod cl supported on a bracket a which is secured to the tail-piece of the instrument. In this construction, the string is attached to a termlnal screw which is used also to secure the bracket 04 in position. This string starting from the terminal screw, passes through a slot. in the screw-threaded rod d under the nut e and thence to the ordinary tension peg. It is pointed out that owing to this device the tension of the string can be varied with great precision.

The regulating device can be mounted either between the tail piece and the bridge, or between the nut and the ordinary tension peg as in Fig. 4. I

The string is tuned by first turning the peg i so as to stretch the string to a pitch close to the pitch desired. The nut e is then screwed down on the wire f and finally ad- .justs its tension.

Owing to this arrangement, it is possible to vary with the greatest ease the tension 9f the string and to give it the desired pitch, in a precise manner.

The nut can have a washer h to avoid wearing the string by the friction of the nut,

as shown in Fig. 2, or the said nut can comprise, as shown in Fig. '3, a ring 71;- let into a recess of the nut and free to turn easily. The inventlon also comprises a device to minimize the cutting action of the string f on the bridge To that end, the bridge j is provided with a small piece of metal, bone, ivory, galactite or other suitable material, covering the bridge at the point where the first string has to pass. Thispiece Z is itself provided with a small notch to guide the first string. The wear of the string f is therefore completely taken up by the metal piece Z which thus leaves the bridge intact and which piece can be easily replaced when worn out. I

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A device for regulating the tension of strings of musical instruments comprising a tail piece, a split screw-threaded rod adapted to receive a string in the split, a screw-threadedpin securing the said rod to the tail-piece, a nut having an inset washer screwedon said rod, and adapted to exercise pressure on the string, substantially as described.

2. In a device for regulating the tension of strings of musical stringed lnstruments,

the combination of a split screw-threaded rod adapted to receive a string in the split; iL screw-threaded pin to secure the said rod to the tail-piece of the instrument and to act as a binding post for the string; and a nut screwed on the said rod and adapted to exercise pressure on the string, for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to thls speclhcation 1n the presence of 10 two subscrlblng Witnesses.

JEAN MENNESSON.

Witnesses:

CHAS. P. PREssLY, VICTOR C. YOUNG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

